An application is considered complete and ready for review by the admissions committee when all items on the application checklist have been received. We will continue to accept applications after the priority deadline as space permits.

Application checklist:

1. Application
2. Resume/CV
3. Personal Statement
4. Letter of Recommendation
5. Transcript(s) of law degree
6. Transcript(s) of any other degrees earned from any college, university, graduate, school or professional school
7. TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable)

We accept applications through the LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS), or directly to Cardozo via PDF Application.

Paper materials are accepted by our team as attachments via email at LLM@YU.EDU, followed by original documents to be mailed to:

LLM Admissions

11th Floor

Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University

55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003

212-790-0857

The resume/CV should be current at the time of application and include information about education (including dates of attendance at universities and dates of degrees received) and work experience (including employer names and locations, position titles, dates of employment, and description of responsibilities for the position held).

Two (2) typed, double-spaced pages. The statement should describe your reasons for pursuing an LLM degree and include any information you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in making its decision. 

One letter of recommendation is required and can be submitted through the LSAC or directly to Cardozo. The letter should be addressed to "Cardozo School of Law" and may be written by law school professors and employers or colleagues whose supervisory positions permit informed evaluations of your qualifications. If you do not register with LLM CAS, an original letter of recommendation on letterhead with an original signature must be submitted to the LLM Admissions Office at Cardozo Law. If the recommender chooses to email us the letter of recommendation s/he may do so at llm@yu.edu.

You will need to submit official transcripts from your first degree in law, and any other universities attended. The transcript should be an official record from the academic institution, clearly indicating the dates of attendance, the courses taken, the grades received, and the degree conferred.

Transcripts can be submitted via LSAC CAS report, or directly to Cardozo. If  you do not register with LLM CAS, the original, official transcript of your law degree, with a certified translation must be mailed to Cardozo, preferably directly from your law school. Transcripts of students coming from partnering schools can be emailed directly to llm@yu.edu. To check if your school is a partner of Cardozo, please email us anytime.

Original transcripts may be submitted directly to Cardozo's Admissions Office by the issuing institute or by the applicant. (See mailing address above.)

International applicants are strongly encouraged to use the LLM CAS International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service.  Evaluations provide the Admissions Committee with your US grade equivalency and facilitate the review process.  WES and other evaluation services are also accepted.

Application documents must be in English. For documents not originally written in English, a certified translation must be made by one of the following: a consulate, a professional agency, or the institution issuing the original document. If an English translation is required, and the issuing institution will NOT provide one, please submit your copy of the transcript to a translation service.  Then send Cardozo the certified translation with the official original transcript in an unopened sealed envelope with the issuing administrator’s signature along the envelope seal.

Translations by the applicant will not be accepted. Any application documents submitted without appropriate English translations will not be accepted.

Full immersion and success in Cardozo’s LLM Program, where students engage in a Socratic dialogue with professors and class members, requires a high level of English proficiency.  Students are expected to comprehend and process both written and spoken English with ease and should be able to express themselves in like manner.  Such proficiency should be achieved prior to enrollment.  Cardozo Law School does not provide English language courses.

If your first degree in law was taught in a language other than English, you must satisfy the English Proficiency Requirement. To satisfy the English Proficiency Requirement, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (Cardozo Law TOEFL Code 2489) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid only within two years of the date of your LL.M. application submission.

If you have registered with the LLM CAS, your test results will be forwarded to Cardozo.  Otherwise, please have your official results sent to the Office of Admissions at llm@yu.edu.

An applicant may request a waiver of the English Proficiency Requirement if an applicant:

• has previously earned a university-level degree in a program where English was the primary language of instruction, or
• has conducted the majority of his/her professional work in English

The waiver request must be submitted in writing with your application.  Documentation from the college or university confirming English as the language of instruction, or a letter from a supervisor confirming English as the primary language of business should be attached to the waiver request.  Waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Admissions Committee. If you have questions, please contact llm@yu.edu.

Many of our international LL.M. students choose to use the LL.M. degree towards meeting the New York Bar eligibility requirements, which is one of the best advantages in earning this degree. Cardozo’s LL.M. programs are all approved by the State and the Board of Law Examiners in New York, so no matter which concentration or specialization you pursue at Cardozo, you will be able to meet the Bar requirements.

It is important to understand that each candidate must submit his/her credential evaluation form and obtain an eligibility determination by the New York Board of Law Examiners and not by Cardozo. Only the Board of Law Examiners (BOLE) is authorized to determine whether you have met the educational requirements in your country, which in addition to the LL.M. degree will be sufficient for you to take the Bar Exam. See The New York State Board of Law Examiners on Foreign Legal Education (22 NYCRR 520.6)

Tip: We strongly recommend that you take these steps before you begin your LL.M. degree!

1. Read carefully Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law; pay attention to the deadlines, and try to secure all your original documents while you are in your home country.

2. Complete a Foreign Evaluation On-line Form.

The Board will not commence review of any request for an evaluation until it is in receipt of all required documentation. Please allow at least six months from the date of the Board’s receipt of all of the necessary documentation for a decision to be made.

New York State Board of Law Examiners
Corporate Plaza- Building 3
254 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, NY 12203-5195
518/452-8700 (tel)
800/342-3335 (tel)
518/452-5729 (fax)
http://www.nybarexam.org

3. When registering for courses at Cardozo, prioritize the Bar related curriculum. Our dedicated counselors will work closely with you in making the right selection, each semester.

Cardozo School of Law makes no representation or assurance that students who complete the LL.M. program will qualify for the New York State Bar Exam or the bar examination of any other jurisdiction.